Kindergarten Classroom Art Projects

A coloring book and crayons will keep a lone child entertained.

Art is important in children's development. They learn best by doing things, and creative projects enhance fine motor skills, problem-solving abilities and spatial awareness, while encouraging innovation and increasing self-esteem. Making art also involves using both sides of the brain. Kindergarten art lessons aren't just a fun, time-filling activity, but are an essential developmental exercise.

Bean Mosaics

For this you will need a large assortment of differently colored dry beans and pulses like kidney beans, peas, black beans and lentils, for example. Each child will also need a large piece of thick cardboard. Draw simple outlines of animals, birds, bugs or objects of your choice on each piece before handing them out. Some child-safe glue and some paintbrushes will be needed as well. Help the children paint small parts of the image with glue, spreading more on as necessary. Have the kids fill in each section of the outline with colored beans to complete the picture. You can perhaps tell them about how real mosaics are made while they do this project.

Papier-Mâché Halloween Ghost

These Halloween ghosts look suitably spooky hung from the ceiling with fishing line. Mix 1/2 cup of water with 1/2 cup of flour and add 2 cups of boiling water. Simmer for three minutes and let it cool. Get the kids to help tear up lots of newspapers into strips that are roughly 1 inch wide. Blow up a long balloon for each child and place one end in a bowl so that it stays upright. Have the kids now dip strips of paper into the thin glue you made and wrap them around the balloon -- three layers will do. Leave them to dry for a few days, and pop the balloons. Cut eye holes in the remaining shape, and get the kids to paint them white. Trim around the bottom of the ghosts in a wavy line.

Blow Painting

For this exercise, use watered-down paint or liquid water colors. Put different colors into bowls with a spoon in each. Then give the children a straw each and a large piece of plain paper. Spoon small amounts of paint onto their paper and get them to blow it around to make patterns. Once they get the idea they will probably be able to put the paint on themselves, too. Explain the difference between blowing and sucking to avoid unnecessary mess. Blow painting makes a fun change from their normal painting activities.

Cutting to Collage

There are scissors available that are safe for young children, but they need to be supervised nevertheless. Learning to use scissors will build up hand strength and motor skills for when they are taught to write. Give the children piles of magazines to go through and cut out pictures, large letters, shapes and any image that grabs their fancy. Then with some child-safe glue and a piece of paper they can make collages that they will love to take home to their parents.

References

• Enchanted Learning: Paper Mache Ghost Craft
• Kinder Art: Bean Mosaics
• Picklebums: Teach and Learn Carnival -- Why Art is Important for Little People
• Your Cheeky Monkey: Cutting to Collage
• Picklebums: What Can We Do Today? Blow Painting